The prosecution concluded it presentation of evidence against Jerron Braden, who is charged with the first-degree murder of Penny Blackwell Coyle on Nov. 21, 2011.

"The State of Tennessee rests its case," said Assistant District Attorney Mike Randles at 11:05 a.m. Saturday, March 16.

Over the course of five and a half days, over 20 witnesses testified and numbers were assigned to more than 80 pieces of evidence, ranging from a plaster cast of a tire track to a photograph of the victim as she appeared when she was found dead in her car.

Once the state rested its case, defense attorney David McKenzie immediately moved for acquittal of his client, Jerron Braden, 19.

"There must be proof other than a confession," said McKenzie, citing legal precedents.

McKenzie reminded Circuit Court Judge Robert Crigler that he had asked all three agents connected with the case: "Other than the statement, is there any evidence to connect my client with this crime?" and all three indicated there was no supporting evidence at all.

"His statement, and his statement alone, is the reason he is here," McKenzie said. "There is no evidence other than my client's statement linking him to this crime. There is no evidence to support he was involved -- no witnesses, no statements, no motive."

McKenzie went on to say by the time Braden started talking to law enforcement on Dec. 8, there had been extensive media coverage of Coyle's murder, and he could have known when, where, and how she was killed.

"He did not describe her clothes, for instance," McKenzie said. "He gave nothing along those lines."

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Andrew Kon, the lead investigator in the case, was on the witness stand all day Friday. Much of the time was taken up by an exhaustive cross examination by McKenzie. The attorney had Kon read the statement he and Lewisburg Police Detective Scott Braden took from Jerron Braden on Dec. 12, 2011, line by line.

"Does it make any sense at all?" asked McKenzie when they arrived at the description of the shooting.

"This is the way he described it," Kon said. "These are his words. It also matches the crime scene."

A diagram was projected on movie screen for the jury. It was drawn by Kon and corrected by Jerron Braden, and showed the relative position of the two cars, and the location of the three armed men who got out of the second car to kill Coyle.

"It's impossible to hit her from where he stated he was standing," said McKenzie after examining the diagram with Kon in relation to Jerron Braden's statement.

"None of this makes any sense," conceded Kon, but, he continued, "this is what he told us happened."

"The largest elements of the statement are proven to be false," McKenzie said Saturday,

"It's true you don't convict solely on a confession," agreed Randles. "A crime occurred. He was able to describe the scene and the position of the vehicles -- none of that was in the media. The way the headlights and the interior lights of Penny's car were on was not known to the general public."

The judge considered the arguments and then said, "I feel like there is sufficient corroborative evidence" that the case is not based on Jerron Braden's statement alone.

The trial continues at 9 a.m. Monday, March 18, when the defense will begin presenting its evidence.